Cardinal
D. Simon Lourdusamy,
Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for
Oriental Churches, was born on 5 February 1924 in Kalleri,
archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore
(India). He was ordained a priest on 21 December
1951. Having acquired a profound scientific
formation at the Loyola College of Madras, he
then earned a doctorate in canon law at the
Pontifical Urban University of Rome in 1956.

Following
ordination, he carried out a variety of services
which provided for a rich and multiple
experience in his ministry. He was diocesan
chancellor and secretary to the Archbishop of
Pondicherry; editor of the weekly catholic
magazine Sava Viaby; director of the
Catholic Doctors’ Guild, the Catholic Medical
Students’ Guild, the Newman Associations, the
catholic university students union and of other
ecclesiastical organizations.

On 2
July 1962 he was nominated titular Bishop of
Sozusa in Libya and Auxiliary Bishop of Bangalore, He
received episcopal ordination on 22 August 1962.
On 9 November 1964 he was named titular
Archbishop of Filippi and due to the health of
the Archbishop Thomas Pothacamury, he was also
named Coadjutor Archbishop of Bangalore.

He was
president of the National Liturgical Commission
for India and was creator of the National
Liturgical and Catechetical Centre of Bangalore.
He was also a member of the Bishops’
Catechetics Commission, delegate to the first
ordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops in
1967, representative of the Bishops of India at
the Pan-Asiatic Catechetical-Liturgical
Conference of Manila (1967) of which he was also
vice-president and president of the liturgy
section. Prior to the International Eucharistic
Congress of Bogota he was also invited to
participate as a member of the catechetic study
week in Medellín, Colombia.

On 11
January 1968, he became Archbishop of Bangalore.
He was then called to Rome on 2 March 1971 as
adjunct secretary of the Congregation for
Evangelization of Peoples. On 24 February 1973
he became Secretary of the same dicastery and
also president of the Pontifical Missionary
Works and the Vice-Grand Chancellor of the
Pontifical Urban University.

Created and proclaimed
Cardinal by John Paul II in the consistory of 15
May 1985. of the title of St. Mary of Grace alle
Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri (deaconry raised pro hac vice
to presbyteral title on 29 January
1996).